RAKESTRAW DNA Surname Project- Background

Background

The Rakestraw DNA Surname Project has been established to connect the families who carry our name. Because the name is reasonably uncommon, we first assumed that the various Rakestraw families across America shared a Common Ancestor. However, DNA Testing has proven that not all American Rakestraws are related.

The Y-DNA tests are administered by a company named "Family Tree DNA" . The actual test is quite simple and painless. Participants are mailed a DNA Test Kit, and all they have to do is swab the inside of their mouth a couple times, which collects the material for DNA Testing. Then, mail the kit back, and that's all there is to it. It takes about 4-6 weeks to get the results back. There are four types of tests; the 12-Marker, 25-Marker, 37-Marker, and 67-Marker Tests. By testing for more Markers, the number of generations to the Most Recent Common Ancestor can be more precise.

Each participant will have one of several possible "alleles" at each "gene site." These differences are what distinguish individuals and their close paternal line relatives from other individuals and paternal lines. The more differences between any two individuals, the more generations there are that separate the two individuals from a common paternal ancestor. Two or three allele differences out of 12 gene sites, and four or five among 25, generally indicate that the common paternal ancestor pre-dates the widespread use of surnames, which began about 800 years ago. Of course, this is statistical probability and not absolute.